“He who can make you believe absurdities can make you commit atrocities.”
Voltaire
Voltaire was an 18th-century French philosopher, writer, and Enlightenment thinker known for his wit and criticism of intolerance and dogmatism.
This quote reminds us how dangerous accepting irrationality can be – it can pave the way to terrible actions. Since Richard Dawkins' *The God Delusion* (2007) and Steven Pinker's *The Violence: A New History of Humankind* (2011), the English phrase "Those who can make you believe absurdities, can make you commit atrocities" has also been widely used in German. In this or a similar form, the English version has been attributed to Voltaire since the 19th century – usually without precise source attribution. This is based on the... "qui est en droit de vous rendre absurde est en droit de vous rendre injuste" from Voltaire's Questions sur les miracles, 11th letter (1765), 1777 books.google, 1784 Google Books, which instead of "atrocities" only speaks of injustice.
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Voltaire Quotes: How Believing Absurdities Can Lead to Atrocities
Voltaire shows how believing in absurdities can lead to atrocities – a call for critical thinking and seeking truth.
Born in 1694, Voltaire was a leading French Enlightenment figure who worked as a philosopher, writer, and critic. His works advocated reason, freedom, and tolerance, profoundly influencing European thought. He is famous for his sharp aphorisms and his committed critique of religious and political authority.
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